Canada: Police out in force as students occupy University of Quebec

Police blocked student protesters at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), Wednesday night, after hundreds of students mobilised and occupied one of the university buildings. The actions followed police arrests made earlier in the day during student protests against rising tuition fees and austerity measures. Hundreds of students barricaded themselves into the J.A.DeSeve building of UQAM, intending to stay the night, with the building surrounded by police. An earlier protest saw the police arrest 22 students as activists attempted to disrupt classes. Four are facing criminal charges of masked protest and mischief, with the remaining faces charges of illegal assembly and mischief.